What’s the story behind the creation of Cardio, Weights, & Protein Shakes? Wow, what a loaded question. I won’t bore you with the long story but I won’t tease you with the short story either; it’s all about the happy medium, right?

So here goes!

Body image is something I have struggled with for most of my life. So much of my self-value has been placed on how I looked, which then dictated how I felt. My self-worth was determined by if I’d exercised that day or how much I’d eaten that day. I was miserable… but never miserable enough to make a change. The picture to the right was taken a few months before I started my fitness journey.

In 2012, as a junior at UGA, I decided to start going to the gym. I had to get braces that year for an upcoming jaw surgery… and I figured if my face was going to suck, my body should be amazing. I laugh at myself now for this mentality! My workouts consisted of cardio, cardio, and more cardio. The treadmill, the track, and the elliptical were my go-to’s. I lost a lot of weight that year (see picture below)… but I still wasn’t happy. In retrospect, I know now that I may have changed my exercise habits, but I never really changed my mentality (or my eating habits). Over the next 3 years, I had an “off and on” relationship with working out/cardio. Just as I went off and on with diets. My weight fluctuated and I tied my happiness to the number on the scale.

In February of 2015, I started working out with a personal trainer at the local LA Fitness. I’d previously worked out with 2 trainers but I didn’t have the same results… and here’s why. From my first session with JQ, I could tell how knowledgeable and passionate he was about his job. His workouts were creative, challenging, and (I hate admitting this…) also fun. But there was another layer to our trainer-client relationship.

JQ graduated from the high school that my elementary school students would someday go to. He lived one street down from the school I worked at. These schools are Title 1, with a very at-risk student population (70%+ Free and Reduced Lunch)… and if you know me, you know that I am extremely passionate about closing the achievement gap in schools (as well as the race and socioeconomic aspects involved).

During our sessions, JQ and I had real conversations: about race, about poverty, about his experiences and struggles growing up, about my experiences working with children who sometimes wouldn’t know where their next meal was coming from. His story in becoming a personal trainer was something that I wanted to share with my students (see future post about this!). Long story short, we were invested in each other’s success. Not only did he inspire me to better myself, he showed me how to do it too. My sporadic gym sessions became a daily occurrence as I was eager to learn something new to try or work towards a goal we’d set.

Since I started going to the gym everyday, it was all I could think about… and all I could post about on my instagram. My frequent fitness posts frustrated some of my friends, so I decided to create an “anonymous” account to showcase my workouts, accomplishments, struggles, and more. Over the next months, my passion grew. I wanted to learn more about fitness, healthy eating, wellness, etc. Not only that… but also, I wanted to show others what I learned. I wanted to share my experience.

As a counselor, I know that telling our personal stories can be therapeutic and empowering… just what I needed. Since my instagram was “anonymous,” I wanted community with people who loved fitness as much as I did. I became ambassadors for some organizations and joined groups for people with similar interests. From their expertise, I realized that I needed more than just an Instagram. So, I started my blog to be able to share more about my story and hear from others too… (since Instagram captions can’t be too long without losing the follower’s interest!). It only made sense to add the other social media outlets as well. So, I created a Twitter, a Pinterest account, and a Facebook page all for Cardio, Weights, & Protein Shakes… and that’s how it all started.

Do You Have the Motivation to Exercise?

Did you make a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight? Or maybe it wasn’t on January 1st that you decided it was time for a change… But rather when you were fed up and couldn’t take it anymore. Whenever you made that choice, somewhere along the way you may need help staying motivated. It’s a hard journey. But the good news is that you’re not alone. If nothing else, I’m here to help you. And if I can share anything from my fitness journey, it’s how to stay motivated when losing weight.

How to Stay Motivated to Workout

We are nearly four weeks into 2016. It seems like the countdown to the New Year was just a few days ago; yet, here we are on January 23 (we’re almost to February!). Whatever your choice for change was… whether you wanted to lose weight, eat better, go back to school, become closer to family, etc… it’s so easy to stray from the new goals and fall back into old habits after a few weeks.

Don’t let this be you.

You made these changes for a reason. You wanted change. There could be a few reasons why. Maybe you weren’t truly happy with some part of your life – or perhaps you were happy, but you knew how much this new goal could add to your life. And maybe you’re at a point now where you’re thinking to yourself how to stay motivated when losing weight. I’ve been there. Let me help! I know exactly how difficult it is to get motivated to run or get motivated to exercise… and that’s not even as hard as STAYING motivated to workout.

I want you to pause for a second; take your eyes of the screen; and think about the reasons you decided to start a workout program or to change your eating habits (or whatever your goal may be!)

Now that you have that fresh in your mind, I want you to think on what you have done in the last 23 days to reach that goal. From personal experience, I was gung-ho on my resolutions for the first week and a half of the new year. Every decision I made would help me achieve my goal. Then, I’d get tired. Tired of waking up early to hit the gym. Tired of exercising after a long day at work. Or I’d get hungry. Hungry for fast food. Hungry for candy. Thirsty for soda. And then, either slowly or all at once, I’d fall back.

Maybe you’ve had a similar experience. My New Year’s Resolutions on January 1st, 2015, included: to do whatever it took to love my body. And for the first time in my life, I reflected on the year on December 31st and realized that I never gave up on that goal. I want to help you do the same…no matter what time of the year it is! So, here are some of the ways I was able to motivate myself when I was tired, or hungry, or hurt, etc.

How To Stay Motivated to Exercise and Reach Your Fitness Goals:

1. Create a tangible, visible reminder of what you want.

My “sister from another mister,” Mi’esha (you may have seen her on my Instagram or mentioned in previous posts), created a Vision Board for her to use when she needed to remember how to stay motivated to work out. You create a board that displays images, words, etc. that represent your goal. Vision Boards help you visualize your goal and how to work towards it. Once completed, place it where you’ll see it often.

2. Take small strides.

While your overall goal may be a big life change, you need to break it down into smaller, reachable goals. This will help you learn how to get motivated to run (and stay motivated!). Running for 15 seconds at a time is way more doable than running a 5k!

One of my favorite quotes says, “You have to think about big things while doing small things… so that all the small things go in the right direction.”

3. Have a reward system.

I’m all about rewards. Did you go to the gym 3 days a week for 2 weeks? Were you able to cut down to one soda a day and kept up with it for a week? Did you go out of your comfort zone to try something new? REWARD YOURSELF! Get a pedicure. Take a nap. Buy something you want (but don’t necessarily need). So what if you’re bribing yourself? It works!! Just make sure your reward doesn’t derail any progress that you’ve made. For me… I love to reward myself with some new workout attire! It gives me an extra boost of motivation to exercise.

4. Don’t beat yourself up over bad days.

You’re going to have bumps in the road. You’re going to come across obstacles. But that’s reality. Do what you have to do. And always remember that NOBODY is perfect! When you get a flat tire, do you slash the other 3? No! Same concept applies to your goals. Just because you have a setback, don’t throw in the towel. You may have to put your goal on the side for a little bit to handle other things in your life. That’s ok. Life happens. Get back to it when you can.

Go out and DO WORK! I know it’s hard… but now that you know how to get motivated to exercise and how to stay motivated to workout, there’s no excuse! Try these fitness motivation tips!

Need help reaching your fitness goals from a personal trainer?

If you ever need some extra help or accountability in sticking with your goals and getting fit, then don’t hesitate to reach out to me! I am, first and foremost, a trained and licensed professional counselor, as well as a fitness professional. And I’m always looking for new friends to connect with! You can connect with me via the Contact option on the site, or find me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram! Send me a message, leave a comment, and let’s be friends!

Learn How to Master the Pull Up

A couple of weeks ago, I did my very first pull up. Oh what a journey it was to learn how to do it! This was a goal that I’d been working on for 16 YEARS! I’ve now increased that number from 1 to 3! How did I learn to do a pull up? I’m going to give you tips to mastering the pull up, which is one of the most daunting fitness tasks… ESPECIALLY for women as we don’t have as much natural upper body strength.

1. Work On Your Upper Body Back

You’ve got to have some muscle to be able to lift your body up! Try this back workout to get started.

2. The Assisted Pull Up Machine

This machine was integral to my success. This machine allows you to do the pullup motion, without having to carry all of y our body weight. It assists you (hence the name!)! In the months leading up to my first pull-up, I did 3 sets of 8 reps on this machine every single back day. Over time, I slowly decreased the assistance so that I was able to support more of my own weight.

3. Pull Up Assistant Bands

If you don’t have access to an Assisted Pull-Up Machine, then grab a pull up band. They will attach to the pull up bar. You put your feet at the bottom of the band and it will assist you as you perform your pull up. The band bears some of the weight, which is how it helps you pull your weight upward. For beginners, I suggest a pull up band that has a high resistance (meaning it will help you more).

4. Hang Out

By hang out, I mean practice hanging like you’re about to do a pull up! This will help your body get accustomed to what you’re trying to make it do. It’ll also help your grip, which is REALLY important for a pull up! You can also do “Flexed Arm Hangs”, where you try to hold the top of the pull up position for as long as possible. This will help by strengthening your shoulders and biceps. When you do flexed arm hangs, lower yourself slowly – and you’ll feel the burn in your biceps!

5. Climb Things

If you’re lucky, your gym might have a rope machine that you can practice pulling yourself up on. Unfortunately, my gym doesn’t have this. So I practiced at a local playground on the fireman’s pole! Try to pull yourself up just a couple of reaches at a time. When I first tried, I could barely get myself up past my own height. But keep at it!

6. Master The Chin Up

Chin ups are slightly easier than pull ups. What’s the difference? First, in a pull up, your palms are facing the same way you are (overhand grip). In a chin up, your palms are facing you (underhand grip). Second, chin ups recruit your bicep muscles, putting less pressure on your back muscles to lift you up! Pull ups focus more on your back muscles (lats).

7. Be Patient

Rome wasn’t built in a day. It took me 16 years to do my first pull up. If you’re persistent and dedicated, it’ll happen!

Other Tips That Will Help You Do Your First Pull Up

1. Don’t look at the bar while you’re doing a pull up.

I know it’s really tempting to see how much more you have to pull up your body. But this actually makes it harder for you! And it can put a lot of strain on your neck!

2. Practice often.

Practice makes perfect, right?!

3. Keep a clean form!

Another crucial point when you train to do a pull up. You don’t want to injure yourself because the muscles involved can be easily injured or strained (i.e., your back).

4. Don’t jump.

I know it’s hard not to start your pull up with a jump but you need to be able to control your bodyweight. Learn how to do a pull up without that extra hop!

You may also be interested in “The Best Upper Body Exercises To Help You Do Your First Pull Up Quickly!” Pair these great tips with these upper body exercises and you will be doing your first pull up in no time!

For awhile now, I’ve known that my eating habits and nutrition were standing in the way of me having the body I’ve always wanted. I’ve wanted to change these habits, but I’ve never really had the motivation to make the change. Until now.

There are a lot of things that I can’t control in life. And one of the biggest lessons I’ve had to learn recently is that I can’t control what other people do. But you know what I cancontrol? Me. I am the master of my own destiny… And I’ve been the master of the body that I have. I control what goes into my body. It is all me. I’ll be honest. That thought was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. I felt empowered to make the change, but also scared of failing. I have chosen to focus on the positive.

So, one of the best ways to accomplish healthy eating habits is meal prepping. I’ve been reading about meal prep ideas on Pinterest for YEARS.. There is so much out there! However, being the person I am, I needed more structure. I needed a plan written out for me that I could follow. Let’s get the clean eating habits down before I start creating my own meal plans! So where do I find this written out meal plan? Enter Sarah Bowmar (Bakian). I recently won one of her FANTASTIC workout programs… and I’m a huge fan of her workout Instagram. So I purchased a 1 month meal plan since she is an established Fitness Athlete and is ISSA Nutrition Certified. I have 18 options of meals each day and the measurements and instructions are all there for me. She has taken all of the guesswork out of it, which is a HUGE help when you’re a newbie. I’ll be meal prepping twice a week. Stay tuned for my next post on how THAT goes (hint: I’m not the best in the kitchen…)!

Do you meal prep? Do you create your own or use one made for you?

*

Hi! Welcome to Cardio, Weights, & Protein Shakes. I’m a 20-something from Atlanta, GA where I work as a certified school counselor and personal trainer. I have a B.S. in Psychology, a B.A. in Sociology, and a M. Ed. in Professional Counseling from the University of Georgia. I started Cardio, Weights, & Protein Shakes in 2015 to share my journey in fitness, health, and life in general.